Varroa Board Cleaning

[Skylark]

Basic question I suppose but do I need to clean the varroa board under the mesh floor at every inspection to prevent robbing. Ive had robbing problems and waps and tried lots of methods but realised that obvioulsy they will be attracted to the varroa floor if not kept clean.

 

[Tim1606]

I only put the board in when i need to monitor varroa. They even stay out in the winter.

Are you monitoring your varroa count?

 

[Winker]

spray it with veg oil, then wipe celan after inspection

 

[huntsman666]

With an open mesh floor the tray should be out at all times other than monitoring a varroa drop.

Mine are sheet metal and I give them a light coating of Vaseline to make any mites stick. Easy to wipe clean later.

 

[Winker]

 

[beeatshellards]

winker, you are not going to fry them are you???

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

With an open mesh floor the tray should be out at all times other than monitoring a varroa drop.

* or when treating with thymol

 

[madasafish]

You all live in sunnier climes than me. Up here where men have hair on their chests ,winter is cold and I leave my boards in all winter, spring and autumn...

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

You all live insunnier climes than me. Up here where men have hair on their chests ,winter is cold and I leave my boards in all winter, spring and autumn...

Think you are south of here - I'm with the theory that hive ventilation is required thoughout the year in this country, regardless of how cold you may get. They cope with cold better than damp.

 

[sandysman]

Everything I have read or been told about omf's, the advice has been keep the board out at all times. (Except maybe when treating with thymol or when monitoring for varroa) The bees, I understand, can cope with the cold but the damp is the problem.

 

[Winker]

winker, you are not going to fry them are you???

like everything we eat in Scotland, The mites have to be deep fryed in batter

 

[keithgrimes]

I'm almost in the arctic up here and varroa boards are only in when doing a mite count and when treating with thymol. Ventilation is essential

 

[VEG]

You all live in sunnier climes than me. Up here where men have hair on their chests ,winter is cold and I leave my boards in all winter, spring and autumn...

Do you have varroa floors? if so why bother with them if you leave the boards in.

Temps down to minus 14 in my apiary for long spells last winter the bees have done fine with open mesh floors.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Open mesh floors are designed to be just that OPEN, I can see Scotland from my village and I would not consider closed floors, even on this wind swept west coast.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I put mine in last winter when it hit -15˚ after the snow had been 3 feet deep for two weeks otherwise open all the time apart from monitoring or Tx

 

[busybee53]

Agree they need ventilation and thats why OMF. Except for varoa monitoring and thymol treatment - but no one has mentioned wasps. I was recommended to put the insert in in my small colony while feeding it to make life harder for the wasps.

 

[VEG]

nothing should be able to get access to the hive via the floor the only way in should be through the entrance.

 

[Flatters]

I put veg oil on boards and they wipe clean.

Only in for mite monitoring. Left out all last winter as I was taught that bees survive cold conditions very well, but it is the damp that gets them. By leaving the board in the lack of ventilation causes damp and therefore problems.